The UK Ancestry Visa remains one of the most popular immigration
routes to the UK. Provided of course that you are one of those persons
fortunate enough to have a British born grandparent.


To quash some misconceptions about the UK Ancestry Visa, the
consultants at BIC have provided some general guidelines on this UK
Visa type.


How to Qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa
To qualify for this type of visa you have to be a Commonwealth
Citizen, 17 years of age or older, and you must be able to prove that
you have a grandparent who was born in the United Kingdom, Channel
Islands or the Isle of Man.


Good news for Zimbabwean readers is that although Zimbabwe is no
longer part of the Commonwealth, Zimbabwean nationals are considered
by the UK Home Office as such for UK Ancestry applications.


The grandparent can be on your mother or father`s side of the family.


Adopted children also qualify, as well as cases where the
parent through whom a person is claiming ancestry is an adopted child.



It is not possible to claim Ancestry through stepparents.


Length Granted for UK Ancestry Visa
The UK Ancestry Visa is granted for five years. After successfully
completing a five-year period as the holder of the UK Ancestry Visa,
you will be able to apply for UK Permanent Residence, also known as
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Provided of course that you meet the
relevant requirements.


Should you not meet the requirements for ILR, you may submit an
application for the extension of your UK Ancestry Visa till you can
meet the requirements for Indefinite Leave to Remain.


A Second UK Ancestry Visa
Clients sometimes end up in situations where they have to return to
their home countries for whatever reason, and the UK Ancestry

Visa
expires during this time. Fortunately, it is possible to apply for
another UK Ancestry Visa from your home country.


The period spent on your first UK Ancestry Visa, will however not
count towards your qualifying time for Indefinite Leave to Remain in
the UK.


The UK Ancestry Visa and Age Limits
To apply for the UK Ancestry Visa, the applicant must be 17 years of
age or older. You also have to prove an intention and ability to work
in the UK under the Ancestry Visa. Subject to this, there is no upper
age limit.


Work Restrictions and the UK Ancestry Visa
One of the main rules of the UK Ancestry Visa is that you must be able
to work and intend to work while in the UK. If it is not your
intention to work, and you confirm this in your application, the
application will be refused.


Furthermore, to be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain
after five years on this type of UK Visa, you must be able to provide
evidence that they have indeed been working during the five years of
their visa.


The Visa has no work restrictions. You will thus be able to open your
own business, or take up employment or even combine the two.


Dependants and Partners
The UK Ancestry Visa holder can apply for his/her Spouse, Civil
Partner or Unmarried Partner and any dependent children under the age
of eighteen years to join them in the UK. They will receive the same
period of leave as the main applicant and be able to work without
restriction.


For more information in your unique circumstances, please feel free to
contact one of the OISC registered BIC consultants today. They will be
happy to assist. V.1428

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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